Ohio’s vernal pool wetlands will be the focus of an expanded public awareness campaign thanks to a $25,200 grant from the Ohio Environmental Education Fund (OEEF). The grant was awarded to the Ohio Wetlands Association (OWA) – one of eight Ohio communities and organizations to receive a total of $239,941 to support environmental education programs.

Vernal pools are temporary pools of water that provide critical breeding habitat for a variety of wildlife, including salamanders and frogs. The all-volunteer OWA will use the grant money to develop presentations and other teaching resources for use in vernal pool workshops. OWA will work with local groups to expand the number of workshops available across the state.

Collaborating with OWA on the project are Dawes Arboretum; Midwest Biodiversity Institute; The Wilderness Center; University of Akron Field Station; The Nature Conservancy; and Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves.

OEEF grants are funded with a portion of the civil penalties Ohio EPA collects for violations of Ohio’s air and water pollution control laws. OEEF awards grants for a variety of environmental education projects serving kindergarten through university students, the public and the regulated community. Eligible recipients include environmental groups, public and private schools, colleges and universities, trade and professional organizations, state and local governments, and businesses.

For the next round of grants, electronic letters must be submitted by July 10 and completed applications are due July 17. Additional information is available on OEEF’s webpage or by calling (614) 644-2873.

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The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1972 to consolidate efforts to protect and improve air quality, water quality and waste management in Ohio. Since then, air pollutants dropped by as much as 90 percent; large rivers meeting standards improved from 21 percent to 89 percent; and hundreds of polluting, open dumps were replaced with engineered landfills and an increased emphasis on waste reduction and recycling.